Audi A5 Avant Review 2025

Despite the gently snowballing release of fully electric cars of all shapes and sizes, there remains sufficient demand for combustion-engined models for manufacturers to develop a new — and perhaps final — generation of vehicles powered by them, albeit with elevated levels of hybridisation. One such choice is the practical Audi A5 Avant.

Audi’s been using the Avant name for the best part of 50 years. It’s a label now well-established as a synonym for ‘estate car’ despite its first application being on a hatchback body this brand would now refer to as a Sportback. This is the first time it’s been used in conjunction with the A5 model range, yet it isn’t a sportier version of the Audi A4 Avant — this is that car’s replacement.

You see this is another chapter in Audi’s book of questionable naming convention decisions, albeit incorporating a U-turn a London cabbie would be proud of. Positively we’ve seen the end of the numeric banding for different levels of power, replaced instead by a reference to the engine’s fuel type and its power output in PS.

Less positive is that the A5 Avant — along with its traditionally shaped Audi A5 Saloon twin — are likely to be the only ranges from the firm which reflect its short-lived decision to give combustion-engined models odd numerals while its EVs would be given evens — hence this A5 replacing the last A4. That was reverted less than 12 months later when the latest Audi A6 Avant was launched — it should have been the A7 Avant. 

What’s not changed are the cars that the Audi A5 Avant has been tasked with challenging in the compact-but-upmarket load-lugger market, although — at the time of writing — none of those major players offers close to the same breadth of choice when it comes to propulsion.

While they’re all available with turbocharged petrol engines there’s no diesel option now available for either the BMW 3 Series Touring or the Volvo V60 — they rely on their plug-in hybrid choices for those seeking fuel efficiency. Contrastingly, the Mercedes C-Class Estate is available with diesel power but the PHEV models are no longer price-listed.

Other estates are few and far between these days given they’ve fallen out of favour with car buyers who’ve switched en masse to SUVs. Somewhat ironically, two of the key players are from within the same manufacturing group in the forms of the latest Skoda Superb Estate and the now wagon-only Volkswagen Passat. Both deliver more carrying capacity for the money than the A5 Avant, if not the Audi’s brand cachet.

Today’s Audi A5 Avant range has a choice of six engines all paired with a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic gearbox — there’s no manual transmission option.

Least powerful is the TFSI 150PS which is fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol producing 280Nm of torque, sufficient for a 0-62mph time of 9.8 seconds before running on to a 134mph top speed. WLTP Combined cycle fuel efficiency is quoted at 37.9-41.7mpg depending on the trim level and options chosen.

Essentially a beefed-up version of the same engine is the TFSI 204PS which sees torque rising to 340Nm, trimming the 0-62mph benchmark time down to 7.8 seconds with a 152mph top speed. Despite the extra turn of speed fuel efficiency’s not harshly hit at 37.0-41.4mpg.

Punchiest of the petrols and the fastest version of the range overall is the TFSI quattro 369PS unit installed in the Audi S5 Avant. It’s a 3.0-litre V6 engine that benefits from Audi’s MHEV Plus mild hybrid system, generating 550Nm of torque. Its top speed is electronically capped at 155mph while its accelerative qualities are amplified by its four-wheel drive system, serving-up an impressive 4.5-second 0-62mph time. Fuel efficiency’s quoted at a reasonable 35.3-35.9mpg.

For many private A5 Avant buyers the diesel-sipping TDI 204PS will be the one to have. It’s also MHEV Plus-equipped with a 400Nm torque output the result, making it a shade quicker from standstill to 62mph than the petrol with the same power — 7.7 seconds here — although top speed drops slightly to 149mph, not that it’s of much consequence in the real world. How fuel miserly is it? According to the WLTP Combined cycle tests it returns 50.7-57.5mpg.

Power and torque figures remain unchanged for the four-wheel drive TDI quattro 204PS, although it’s heft’s increased to the tune of around 65kg. While this nips 2mph from its potential top speed, the traction advantages outweigh the quattro system’s portliness reducing the 0-62mph time to 6.9 seconds. Fuel efficiency also takes a dip with claims of 49.6-54.7mpg.

Likely to appeal especially to company car drivers is the A5 Avant’s PHEV choice which ditches Audi’s recent TFSI e badging. Here it’s called e-hybrid quattro 299PS, that power figure referencing the combined output of its 2.0-litre engines and electric motor. Total torque available is 450Nm resulting in a 5.5-second 0-62mph time, with a hybrid top speed of 155mph and an EV one of 87mph.

Combined cycle fuel efficiency with a fully charged battery is 106.9-136.3mpg with the 20.7kWh useable capacity battery offering an electric-only driving range of 59-66 miles. A full recharge using an 11kW AC connection takes 2 hours 3 minutes — expect to add an hour to that when using a more typical 7.4kW AC domestic wallbox connection.

In addition to the driver being able to vary the level of regenerative braking provided by the A5 Avant’s e-hybrid system, when using the integrated navigation package the car picks up on key data such as topography, corner radii and live traffic data to determine the most efficient manner to meter its available electric energy.

Four trim levels are available across the Audi A5 Avant range, familiar from almost every other model in the firm’s line-up.

Entry-point to the hierarchy is Technik, although that’s only available in conjunction with the e-hybrid drive system. Aside from the S5 Avant, each engine is also sold in Sport, S Line and Edition 1 grades. Edition 1 is the sole level of specification for the S5 although its standard equipment varies compared with other A5s using the same label.

All A5 Avants feature Audi’s latest Softwrap style of interior with the dashboard featuring a curved dual-screen panel incorporating an 11.9-inch driver’s display and a central 14.5-inch touchscreen for the multimedia system. Standard on Edition 1 versions and optional on less expensive trims is a third 10.9-inch multimedia screen immediately ahead of the front passenger, allowing them control of the navigation system and audio output.

At the Audi A5 Avant’s business end its carrying capacity varies depending on the engine choice. Both the TFSI 150PS and TFSI 204PS have a 476-litre boot with the rear seats in place and loaded to the window line. Fold the 40/20/40-split rear bench over and filled to roof height the load space capacity increases to 1424 litres. 

Choose the TDI 204PS, TDI quattro 204PS or S5 Avant TFSI quattro 367PS and those volumes are reduced to 448 litres and 1396 litres respectively courtesy of the mild hybrid system’s high-voltage battery taking up some room. For reference, MHEV versions of the BMW 3 Series Touring have capacities of 500-1510 litres and the Mercedes C-Class Estate offers 490-1510 litres.

Inevitably the larger battery in the A5 Avant e-hybrid quattro 299PS shrinks the available cargo space further still down to 361 litres with the rear seats in use and 1306 litres when they’re folded over. Those numbers are disappointing alongside the BMW 3 Series Touring PHEV at 410-1420 litres, while the Volvo V60 offers 519-1431 litres in both mild and plug-in hybrid guises.

Orderable since summer 2024, prices currently start at £44,560 for the petrol Audi A5 Avant Sport TFSI 150PS and £49,100 for the diesel Sport TDI 204PS version. For PHEV power you’ll need £50,850 for the A5 Avant Technik e-hybrid quattro 299PS. This prices are broadly more expensive than the BMW and Volvo equivalents but just undercut its Mercedes rival.

Keep this page bookmarked to read our forthcoming full and comprehensive Audi A5 Avant review in the weeks ahead.